Children of four to be fast-tracked in schools shake-up

Gifted children will be singled out at the age of four and offered extra classes in a major education shake-up outlined by the Government yesterday.

Teachers will be expected to pinpoint the brightest 10 per cent of primary children and encourage them to sign up for university summer schools, Saturday morning classes and online tuition.

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The scheme forms part of a package of measures aimed at 'personalising' education. It was unveiled by Tony Blair following a six-month review of public services policy.

These include plans to invite parents to rate schools in 'Amazon-style' internet reviews, constantly-updated online school reports, a 'payment by results' system for schools, degree credits for students who undertake community work and smaller English and maths class sizes at crucial points in pupils' education.

Gordon Brown - the favourite to succeed Mr Blair as Prime Minister this summer - vowed to continue the drive to bring in the private sector to run schools and hospitals.

The Chancellor promised 'major announcements' on privately sponsored city academies in this week's Budget, claiming Britain was at the 'foothills' of educational reform.

Under the plans, selection of the most gifted pupils will be based on teacher assessments and results in national tests for seven-year-olds.

Many of the pupils will join the National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth, which is currently aimed at 150,000 students in secondary schools.

Set up in 2002 at Warwick University, the academy runs weekend and summer schools as well as online seminars and lectures to challenge gifted youngsters.

Meanwhile, primary schools will be expected to develop 'a complete programme of support' for gifted pupils. But teachers' leaders last

night urged 'caution' over labelling very young children.

Steve Sinnott, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said: "We are dealing with children who are four-and-a-half upwards. The big problem with the 11-plus was that it set children in stone.

"We must be very careful not to attempt to set anything in stone because young children's abilities, capacities and interests are still developing."

The review also floated plans to allow parents to post internet write-ups of their children's schools akin to reviews of books, DVDs and other products encouraged by online retailer Amazon.

A similar system operates on the auction website eBay, where users can rate the efficiency of buyers and sellers.

Technology would be used to enable users to give 'rapid feedback'. Payment to private contractors running schools and hospitals could also be tied to satisfaction levels.

But the plan drew a furious backlash from teachers who accused the Government of undermining schools' authority and putting them at the mercy of disgruntled parents or mischief-making pupils.

The invitation to rate schools is likely to ring hollow, with many parofents amid claims choice in education is in any case an illusion.

Up to half of parents in some parts of the country failed to get their child into their chosen secondary school for next September.

Mr Sinnott said: "The Prime Minister's vision for education is skewed towards the fantasy world eBay and Amazon-style league tables.

"League tables using such satisfaction ratings enables one discontented parent to dominate and distort public perception of a school."

Other ideas being put forward by the Government include a 'payment by results' system for schools where heads' would miss out on funding if pupils failed to meet progress targets.

School reports could also be posted on the Internet in a bid to increase parents' involvement in their children's education.

Ten local authorities have already been chosen to trial a system in which schools will be rewarded with cash bonuses up to £500 per pupil for pushing them to meet individual attainment targets.

Dr John Dunford, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: "The idea that anyone can put their views about a school on an open website could do great damage to both the school and to the interests of individual children.

"It demeans the professionalism of teachers and creates unreasonable expectations among parents. Schools accept that they are accountable to parents but this must not be done in a way that undermines the school's authority."

Philip Parkin, general secretary of the Professional Association of Teachers, said: "People are generally more motivated to complain than to praise.

"Those who were satisfied might not bother to give ratings, while less well-off parents might not be online.

"Parents with a grudge against a school, because, for example, their child had been disciplined for being disruptive, or excluded or former pupils wanting to cause mischief, could post damaging comments."

THE BLAIR MASTERPLAN

• Virtual bills telling people how much their use of public services is costing the taxpayer

• Online school reports allowing parents to make regular checks on how children are doing at school